30 Minutes
by Ravenclaw992
Summary: Emma and Henry end up eavesdropping on Regina's conversation with Mr. Gold and they cannot believe what they hear. Spoilers from Skin Deep. One-shot.


_**Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time...blah, blah, blah. Personally, I just think ABC loves to hear us writers admit it. J/K ABC is lucky to own this show, because it is amazing! **_

_**A/N: Another one-shot for Once Upon A Time! Yay! I don't know why, but I've been inspired to write these lately. **_

_**This one was inspired by a few theories I heard flying around about how Emma and Henry could easily eavesdrop on Regina's conversation with Gold at the end of Skin Deep. This is my version of them eavesdropping and hearing that suspenseful, amazing turn of events. **_

_**Enjoy the one-shot! (-; And maybe offer me a review afterwards? **_

_**30 Minutes**_

"Sheriff Swan, I am letting you have thirty minutes with my son." Regina had unexpectedly swept into the station, black heels clicking sharply on the tiled floor, with Henry in tow. Of course, the Mayor was much too good for niceties. Emma struggled not to roll her eyes at Regina's possessiveness of Henry. "Take him out, buy him ice-cream." It was an order, like everything else.

Something was off. Regina was willingly offering her time with Henry when she so boldly warned Emma to keep her distance not even a week ago. And ice cream? Coming from any other mother, it would be a rational, normal behavior. Coming from Regina? It was too good to hope for.

The Mayor's eyes were glued on Mr. Gold, sitting in his cell and avidly watching the exchange. There was something going on and it bothered Emma.

"You want me to leave you alone with a prisoner?" Truth be told, Emma was a bit curious as to the subject Regina wished to discuss with Gold. She could care less if Regina made the mistake of inching too close to the cell. Judging by the heightened curiosity in Henry's face, he was pondering over the same question.

Without glancing in her direction, the Mayor's eyes narrowed dangerously. Her lips thinned into an irritated line.

"Twenty-nine and a half minutes," she warned, hinting at their departure. Emma hesitantly flicked her eyes to Gold, whose eyebrows rose in amusement. Did he know the reason for Regina's presence?

"Bring me back a cone," he said, clearly comfortable with speaking to Regina alone. Emma had a bad feeling about this…but she sighed, too worn out to pick a fight with the Mayor after the trouble she'd been through.

"Just this once," she advised them, grabbing her jacket off the coatrack in her office. A pleasant smile was already forming on her lips as Henry led her out the door, her taste buds anticipating rich, chocolatey ice-cream.

"So, to Granny's diner we go? Or does this place have its own ice cream shop?" Emma could not help but wonder which fairy tale character would own an ice-cream shop. She half-expected Henry to break open his leather-bound book and point it out within the colorfully illustrated pages.

Henry paused, tugging insistently on her hand. Determination flashed in his wide eyes and Emma instinctively knew she was headed for trouble. _As if I haven't had enough trouble yet today, _she thought, eyeing Henry quizzically.

"Emma, wait. There's a reason the Evil Queen wanted to be alone with Mr. Gold," he said, refusing to let go of her hand. Just like a child reaching out to his mother.

"So?" Henry grinned with a tiny inkling of mischief, his book clutched tightly to his chest.

"So, let's find out why." Henry slipped back toward the station's door. Emma's stomach knotted. Of course the kid would rather eavesdrop on his mother than go out for delicious ice-cream. It figured.

"Kid, there's no way we are sticking around to spy on your mom," she replied, giving him what she imagined to be her "serious" look. It had no effect on him.

"But, Emma…what if they're talking about something that could help Operation Cobra?" Emma crossed her arms and began to walk away, expecting Henry to follow. He didn't. He was kneeling before the door, edging it open a couple inches to see inside the room.

Emma dashed back to his side, mainly afraid he was going to get caught. Then they'd both suffer Regina's wrath and Emma wasn't sure she had the patience to do so. If anything, she'd probably come to blows with the Mayor's face again, though it could certainly knock Regina down a few pegs.

"Henry, we can't just—"

"Shh!" Henry shushed her, a finger to his lips. Emma was taken aback by the kid shushing her, but then Gold's voice floated towards them. Despite her previous reluctance, Emma was beckoned closer to Henry's side, her chin resting on his head as she peered through the crack in the door.

_"Please…._sit," Gold instructed Regina, emphasis on the word "please." The Mayor's back was facing them as she tensely took a seat on the end of a blue couch near the cell, coming eye-to-eye with Gold. Emma failed to notice before, but Regina was holding a medium-sized leather bag on her lap. _Wonder what she's keeping in there. _"When two people want what the other has, a deal can always be struck."

"They're making a deal," Henry whispered to Emma above him, excitement filling his voice.

"I got that part," she replied, pointing to the door. _Listen, _she silently told him and Henry nodded.

"Do you have what I want?" Gold was asking Regina. Emma wondered what it was that Gold wanted and, on the heels of that, if it had anything to do with the stolen item. Emma was still as a deer in headlights, mind racing. _Regina was behind the break-in, _she realized.

"Yes," Regina answered. Emma could almost hear the smirk dripping from her lips. Her eyes darted to the leather bag again. Absently, she leaned forward and Henry gasped.

"Ow, your elbows." Her elbows were digging into his back. Emma lifted them away, all the while trying to squeeze past Henry to get a better look.

"Sorry, kid," she quietly apologized and he gave her a stubborn look that could only come from a child.

"Shh!" He was shushing her again, her mouth dropping open.

"That's twice you shushed me! I bet you don't shush her!" Emma complained, her voice accidentally rising a couple bars. Henry pleaded with her as the Mayor continued on.

_"Shhh!" _

"…strong men take what they need," Regina was saying. Emma figured she had put someone up to the job instead of getting her hands dirty. Gold leveled his brown eyes at her, any hint of amusement long gone out the window.

"Oh, yeah…and you told him exactly what to take, didn't you?" Bitterness dripped from the pawnbroker's words and Emma did not dare breathe as the two of them hunched over, Henry gripping the doorknob. The Mayor leaned forward slightly.

"We used to know each other so well, Mr. Gold. Has it really come down to this?"

"It seems it has, yeah," he replied smoothly. Emma struggled to imagine just how well the two of them knew each other and she shot Henry a puzzling look. He merely shrugged—he hadn't a clue, either. "But, you know what I want. What is it _you _want?"

Both Henry and Emma squirmed forward, intrigued by the turn of the conversation. What _did _Regina want? The idea of ice-cream was the farthest thing from their minds.

"I want you to answer one question," Regina declared. Emma glanced down at Henry meaningfully. The kid was lost in this entire scene, his sparkling eyes wide and his body stiff. Emma stumbled forward and Henry nearly collapsed underneath her.

"Your elbows keep getting in the way!" Emma shrugged hopelessly. Frowning, she shifted a little to the right. "Stop moving!"

"It's not exactly easy when there's no room to see what's going on!" She bent over Henry's crouched form, trying to get both the Mayor and Gold in sight again.

"Shh! We'll miss the question!" Emma glowered down at him, finally finding a good spot.

"Quit shushing me, kid!" Emma clamped her lips together and winced. They had missed the question. Henry's eyes boggled out of his head.

"What'd she ask him?" Emma whispered in his ear, completely lost now. Henry stared at her in disbelief. Whatever it was, it had been good.

"She asked him what his name was," Henry responded just as Gold gave his name. Emma frowned in disappointment. That was it? That was the big question?

"So? We know his name," she reminded Henry and that was when she understood his shock. Henry gazed at her and rubbed the spine of his fairy-tale book.

"Not his real name," he said, the excitement practically leaping from his mouth. The kid was about to have one of his most complex questions answered. "Now…_shhh!" _Emma playfully tapped him on the head and he rubbed it.

"Tell me your name." Regina demanded Mr. Gold, pronouncing each syllable with emphasis. Emma watched as Mr. Gold sat back, eyeing Regina with suspicion. Then, a glint appeared in his dark eyes and a slow smile curled his lips. Everything was silent as he opened his mouth, his grin widening, and—

_"Rumpelstiltskin." _Henry gasped aloud and Emma covered her mouth to keep hers inside. Her mind raced as she processed what Mr. Gold just said. Honestly, had he just said…? _Oh…my…God…Rumpelstiltskin….Rumpelstiltskin…._The name repeated over and over in her head as a swift change came over Mr. Gold's demeanor.

"You mean the guy who bargains for children?" The situation with Ashley—one that ultimately cost her a favor to Gold—slammed into her mind. Realization hit her. It had been there in front of them this whole time. "Oh." Henry's mouth dropped open in shock. The kid's mind was probably blown.

Gold—Rumpelstiltskin—jumped up from his seat and gripped the bars, leering at Regina. Emma noticed a gleeful smile on his face now—this was Gold's true form, free to spread its wings.

Regina slid the strap of her bag off her shoulder, reached in and revealed a teacup with a chip on its rim. Emma's brow furrowed in confusion. _That_ was the stolen item? A cup? _You've got to be kidding me, _she thought, but then this whole situation had just been turned upside-down.

Gold—_Rumpelstiltskin, _she had to correct herself—desperately reached through the bars for it, his finger dragging it towards him. Regina reluctantly let go of it and he cradled it longingly in his hands. Perhaps it was just a chipped cup, but Emma sensed it meant far more to him than that.

"Thank you…Your Majesty," Gold said before claiming his seat again, studying the teacup as if he wanted to memorize every little detail. Henry gave Emma a look that plainly said "I-told-you-so." Regina truly was the Evil Queen. _This cannot be happening. This is a dream. I've fallen asleep on my desk and this is all just a dream. _

But Emma knew in her heart this was real. This was no longer inside Henry's head. _The kid was right. _

Gold sighed deeply and sent Regina a piercing gaze.

"So…now that we're being honest with each other, let's not forget how things used to be," he stated. His brown eyes glared at the bars with disgust. "Don't let these bars fool you, dear. I'm the one with the power around here." Emma's throat felt as dry as sandpaper. There were two reigning forces in Storybrooke—Gold and Regina. She wasn't sure which one she should be more wary of. "Nothing between us will change," Gold hissed at her, a distrustful look aimed at Regina.

The Mayor stood and swooped in close to the bars, hands wrapped around them tightly.

_"We shall see," _she retorted in a low, dangerous voice. Despite the power these two held, they saw each other as enemies instead of allies. Emma thought back to Gold's offer of an alliance. _The enemy of my enemy is my friend…or is he? _

All of a sudden, the Mayor spun on her heel and started for the door. Emma bolted up and tugged Henry away from the door.

"Go, Henry, go!" Emma and Henry heard the distinct clicking of the Mayor's heels as they ducked into a supply closet, crashing into a whole stack of brooms, mops, and buckets. They managed to wrench the door closed before the Mayor stepped out of the jail room, obliviously passing the closet.

"Phew, that was close," Henry mumbled as they stumbled from the closet. Emma nearly tripped on a broom on the way out. That was the last time they eavesdropped, no matter how valuable the information. And this information had been very valuable. "So, how about that ice-cream? And did you hear his name? He's not even in the book…"

Henry launched into a discussion of his fairy-tale theory—which really was no longer much of a theory—but Emma was far beyond hearing. It was overwhelming and a lot to swallow. It choked her, spun circles around her head until the room swayed. The details crashed down on her shoulders, forcing her down to the earth. _Henry was right. _

…

The thirty minutes flew by and Regina did not even seem to suspect that the two of them were eavesdropping. Smirking at Emma as usual, she took Henry by the hand and stormed out of the station, leaving Emma alone with Gold. It was still difficult for her to process his real name, but she could not help hearing it echo in her head as she studied the pawnbroker.

"We brought you back an ice-cream, just like you asked. Vanilla," she said, forcing a tentative smile as she offered him the ice-cream through the bars. His fingers brushed over hers as he accepted it and a tingle of electricity jolted through her body. His knowing smile was firmly in place while her own fell to pieces.

"Thank you, Miss Swan." His nodded once before settling back on the old mattress that served as a cot in the jail cell, his tongue lapping up the vanilla treat. Never did his brown eyes waver from her face. Emma gripped the bars, mostly for stability. "My offer for alliance still rests on the table…in case you wished to reconsider."

He knew. Emma felt the realization skitter down her spine. He knew that she knew his name, that she heard everything he had said to Regina. Of course he knew. Mr. Gold always maintained the discomforting air that he knew more than the average person in Storybrooke. How wrong she had truly been.

Faster than she could have imagined, he had leapt at the bars and brought his face close to hers, the ice-cream forgotten in his hand. Emma instinctively dropped her hand to her hip, where her gun rested. Mr. Gold gleefully laughed at her discomfort.

"What is my name, dearie?" His brown eyes, now much more intense than ever before, burned into hers and she could not look away. Emma eyed him with wariness and sighed.

"You know that I know," she reminded him. He smirked openly at her.

"I _know_," he replied, waiting. He wanted her to say his name, to make it clear she understood who she was dealing with.

Emma knew she could turn away now and he wouldn't be able to do anything to stop her. But her feet seemed glued in place, her eyes never leaving him. The name rolled off her tongue like water and with it came a sense of power.

"Rumpelstiltskin." His smile increased and he leaned away from the bars, satisfied. Apparently, he enjoyed the way she said his name and the way she acknowledged his presence. Emma could not believe she was admitting that this being existed. "Why didn't you rat us out to Regina?"

"As I've said before, Miss Swan…I'd much rather have you on my side." His rich accent grew thicker and shifted slightly from his normal range—this was his true self speaking to her, not a simple pawnbroker in a small town. "Allies?" Rumpelstiltskin extended a hand to her, daring her to take it. Emma shook her head slowly.

"You know I still don't trust you," she advised him. Hell, she trusted him even less now that she knew he was the ultimate manipulator of deals. This being Emma could not predict in any sense and it scared her just a tiny bit. He was out of her control, breathing with untold power.

"Some allies do not require great extents of trust. As long as we share a common enemy, all we need to do is help each other." His hand lingered in the air. Emma considered it—another ally, especially a powerful one, might be valuable in the long run. But was it worth it? "Time is ticking, Miss Swan. The final battle is nearly here."

The final battle. Oh, God…the dream was getting worse. Henry had mentioned a battle, but Emma did not assume she would actually be fighting one. Did this man, this mystical being, intend to help her?

Making her choice, Emma slid her hand through the bars and clasped his rough hand. His grip was strong and he almost refused to release her hand. An odd sensation traveled through Emma's body—it felt like she were giving him her soul, heavy chains wrapping around her heart.

"Allies," she agreed, jerking back her hand. In the back of her mind, a small nugget of doubt broke open, bursting into a full-grown forest. _What have I done? _

Mr. Gold grinned enthusiastically at her before stretching leisurely on his cot, his brown eyes forever locked with her green ones.

"Don't forget, dearie," he called out to her as she made her way back to her desk, nerves shaking. "You still owe me that favor."

_Don't remind me, _she thought as she enclosed herself in her office and buried her head in her hands, trying but failing to shut out that last image of Mr. Gold smiling victoriously as he returned to enjoying his vanilla ice-cream cone.

…..

**The End…of the one-shot, anyway. I hope everyone enjoyed it. This was mainly my way of waiting for Sunday. I've been very impatient ever since I heard Emilie de Ravin would be returning in this upcoming episode. **

**Seriously, if there was an ice cream shop in Storybrooke, which fairy tale character do you think would own it? /= I'm sure Henry would have a theory. **

**Until next time, readers. **

**Edit: I would like to thank those that have reviewed so far-here's to Angel of Neptune, The Red Fedora, MountainQueen, and BlooperLover. Your reviews were wonderful! (= **

**And in response to one of them, I wonder where the Blue Fairy actually is in Storybrooke? /= Mysteries, mysteries. **


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